Parenting

9.03.2010

Almost one year in.....

I cannot believe that we have been home almost a year with Nile. Oh the joy he has brought into our family. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about Africa and all of the children we left behind. I pray that all of the sweet children we met last year are not still there. It happens one family at a time. That is why I pray that other families will submit to the calling to adopt. I really want others to experience God's miracle of loving a child that was born across the world from you. A child of a different race, culture, country, family--it's a beautiful experience!!

I dream of the day when I can go back to Africa. It's hard when you have little ones but hopefully we will be returning in the future to bring other children or a child into our family to love, nurture, disciple.

Hello! I just found your blog. You little one reminds me of my son! I hope you will visit my site. zerkles.blogspot.com Im going to be sharing their stories soon. God bless you!! Your family is beautiful!!

What is this blog all about?

This blog was started to keep everyone informed about our adoption from Ethiopia. We prayed that it would help raise awareness of the need to care for orphans. We are now home with the most precious Ethiopian boy, Nile. We are so in love and have grown so much through this process. God has done so many miracles to get us to where we are today. If you are a first time reader you can read here to see how God lead us to adoption. We try to keep the focus of this blog on Nile's progress, information on Ethiopia, our adoption and orphan care opportunities. Click here to watch the video of our trip to Ethiopia.

Live around Nashville? Join us for our monthly Ethiopian fellowships...

Why Adopt from Ethiopia?

• One in six children die before their fifth birthday
• 44% of the population of Ethiopia is under 15 years old
• 60% of children in Ethiopia are stunted because of malnutrition
• The median age in Ethiopia is 17.8 years
• 1.5 million people are infected with AIDS (6th highest in the world)
• 720,000 children have been orphaned by AIDS alone, and there are 4.6 million orphans in Ethiopia.
• Per capita, Ethiopia receives less aid than any country in Africa
• In the 90s the population (3%) grew faster than food production (2.2%)• Drought struck the country from 2000-2002 (first year no crops, second year no seeds, third year no animals)
• Half the children in Ethiopia will never attend school. 88% will never attend secondary school.
• Coffee prices (Ethiopia’s only major export) fell 40-60% from 1998-2002.
• Ethiopia’s doctor to children ratio is 1 to 24,000.
• In 1993, after 30 long years of war, Eritrea broke from Ethiopia and became an independent nation leaving Ethiopia landlocked without any major seafaring ports.

...once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act.......... Prov. 24:12